Phaedo3 records the fastest elapsed time (unofficial) in the 2015 Transatlantic Race
In spite of being becalmed for nearly two days early in the race, the MOD 70 trimaran Phaedo3 owned by owner/driver Lloyd Thornburg has crossed the finish line off the southwest coast of England to record the fastest elapsed time (unofficial) in the 2,800 mile Transatlantic Race.
Thornburg, co-skipper Brian Thompson, and the rest of the crew’s elapsed time of 7 days, 2 hours, 4 minutes, 9 seconds was well ahead of the other fast boats that started in Newport, Rhode Island last Sunday including Jim Clark’s 100-foot sled Comanche, George David’s Rambler 88, and Peter Aschenbrenner’s 63-foot trimaran Paradox. And since Phaedo3 was able to average speeds in the high 20’s once the wind filled in, they’re the 7th boat to finish overall and they came in well ahead the majority of the fleet that started a week before they did.
Phaedo3 continues to raise the bar of what’s possible in offshore racing and the numbers tell the story:
652 nautical miles = Max 24 hour miles covered
2,442 nautical miles =Miles covered in 4 days (once the wind filled in after being becalmed) averaging over 600 miles per day for 4 days
41.2 knots= Top speed
But this is only the beginning. Thornburg, Thompson, and several other Phaedo3 crew and going to keep racing (to Los Angeles for start of the Transpac) once boat docks in Cowes early tomorrow morning.
Thornburg and company have thrown the high performance multi-hull gauntlet down and hope to see more fast multihulls in future offshore races and they are putting their money where their mouths are. They’ll be racing aboard Thornburg’s original Gunboat 66 Phaedo as he goes for a rare Owner/Driver offshore double in the Transpac next week.
The mighty Comanche reached the Lizard at 01:49:11 EDT (05:49:11 UTC) in a time of 7 days, 11 hours and 35 minutes – impressive considering she spent at least two of those all but parked.